by Jeffrey Klein
According to specific public statements made by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Jay Carney and Susan Rice, for almost two weeks after the September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya–during which our Ambassador, his aide and two former Navy SEALs were ambushed and murdered, the Administration maintained that current intelligence gave no indication that it was more than a protest that got out of hand as a result of an anti-Islamic video, repeatedly declaring:
…we shared intelligence information with the American people as we received it.
Maybe not so much.
Now, ‘whistle-blowers’ from inside the Clinton State Department have made available copies of critical, ‘real time’ email traffic that chronicled the attack on the virtually defenseless consulate, which originated from the State Department Operations Center and then routed to top national security officials at State, the Pentagon, the FBI, the White House Situation Room and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to Reuters, CBS, CNN and ABC News articles yesterday.
However, due to the greater depth and detail of reporting, Chad Pergram’s FOXNews article today provides the majority of the information hereunder.
Beginning with the fact that [apparently] only Fox News was told, [or reported], that an estimated 300 to 400 national security figures, who work directly under the nation’s top national security, military and diplomatic officials, received these emails.
Timestamps are [ET] Eastern Time, with the subheading SBU–“Sensitive But Unclassified.”
At 4:05 p.m. ET, September 11, 2012, the State Department Operations Center issued an email alert broadcast to the government and intelligence agencies listed above, particularly including State, the White House Situation Room, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the FBI.
Subject: U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack (SBU).
The Regional Security Officer reports the diplomatic mission is under attack. Embassy Tripoli reports approximately 20 armed people fired shots; explosions have been heard as well. Ambassador Stevens, who is currently in Benghazi, and four COM personnel are in the compound safe haven.
The 17th of February militia is providing security support.
The operations Center will provide updates as available.
At 4:54 p.m. ET, another email alert is broadcast:
Subject: Update 1: U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi (SBU)
Embassy Tripoli reports the firing at the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi has stopped and the compound has been cleared.
A response team is on site attempting to locate COM personnel.
At 6:07 p.m. ET, a third email alert is broadcast:
Subject: Update 2: Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibility for Benghazi Attack (SBU)
Embassy Tripoli reports the group claimed responsibility on Facebook and Twitter and has called for an attack on Embassy Tripoli.
When pressed for comment by the media today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed that these emails implicating an Al Qaeda-tied group in the Libya consulate attack were not proof of terrorist involvement–stating claims of responsibility on Facebook and Twitter were not “evidence.”
So, by being unwilling to ‘share’ this immediate information with Americans, it rekindles the question as to why U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, was ‘trotted’ out five days later to appear on all five Sunday morning news shows to etch-in-stone Obama administration narrative that the attack was a “spontaneous” reaction to protests over an anti-Islam film.
At the same time, Republican Senators Lindsey Graham (SC), John McCain (AZ) and Kelly Ayotte (NH), sent a letter to the White House, demanding that President Obama “address the American people directly” as to what exactly the administration knew of the attacks and when.
In television interviews nearly a week after the events in Benghazi, you yourself even refused to describe it as a terrorist attack, instead emphasizing the role played by a hateful video. This concerted misrepresentation of the facts of the case — facts that, it appears, you and your administration possessed almost as soon as the attack began — is why so many of our constituents are demanding a fuller explanation of why your administration responded as it did.
Do not hold your breath waiting for an answer to this letter prior to the election.
It also seems that Clinton’s ‘fog of war’ defense, as related to FOXNews Wendell Goler, while traveling to Peru last week, is affecting the recollection [news archives] of another CNN reporter, Elise Labott, who reported in her CNN article today that:
The day after it took place, President Barack Obama labeled the incident an ‘act of terror.’
This misguided statement is a clear attempt to reinforce and extend President Barack Obama’s statement of fiction he ‘floated’ during the second debate, wherein CNN host and debate moderator, Candy Crowley, destroyed any semblance of her integrity, on camera, in front of 66 million TV and Internet viewers around the world.
For the record, the ‘official’ White House definition of Benghazi did not change to a “terrorist attack,” until Press Secretary Jay Carney snarled at reporters, who were traveling on board Air Force One, that it was ‘self-evident,’ on September 21, 2012–even though Barack Obama would continue the video fantasy while speaking from the podium to the annual General Assembly of the United Nations on September 25, 2012.
It is becoming painfully apparent that Benghazi-gate is becoming a caldron of hot water for President Barack Obama, the four murders and political corruption from which has the potential to eclipse Watergate.
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Jeffrey Klein is an author, commentator and blogger. You can follow Mr. Klein on Twitter @JeffreyKlein2.